Tag Archives: Wales

Recommended Reading, books that have captured my interest and authors I admire.

Tumbling Dice by Lesley-Ann Jones

In this startling, funny and agonizing book, Lesley-Ann Jones relives the glory days and walks again on the wild side with tears, laughter and a whole lotta love. LAJ, the acclaimed biographer of Freddie Mercury, David Bowie and Marc Bolan, began her career as an intern at London’s Capital Radio, and worked with Debbie Harry and Blondie, Spandau Ballet and Leo Sayer at Chrysalis Records. She experienced 15 minutes of fame as a television presenter at the inception of Channel 4. She subsequently reinvented herself as a reporter and celebrity interviewer on the Sun, the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday and the News of the World.

The Gloria Gaynor of the written word, she survived not only the toughest street on Earth and near-fatal illness but also life-changing divorce, culminating in the killing of her lawyer. TUMBLING DICE offers, at its heart, the evolving psyche and growing awareness of a green-gilled hack on a quest for exclusives and a thrilling lifestyle, but essentially, of course, for love.

The Fix It Or Get Out Series by Christine Ardigo

Marry the Wrong Man? Marriage Crumbling? Think You’re a Failure?

Ladies, We Are Not Alone. 3 Great Stories. Which One is Yours?

Are you at that pivotal point in your life when you look back and wonder when it all went wrong? The Fix It or Get Out Series explores the inner workings of these ladies’ minds and hearts, and the value they place on family and love. They encourage us not to judge but to understand, with scenarios that many women can relate to. Clearly when you think you’re going through something alone, there are many other women going through exactly the same difficulties and emotions. If you like books that make you feel something and you can empathize with the characters, then take a ride with three stories that will stay with you long after you read The End.

This book is currently FREE

Mrs. Fitzroy: A Captain Savva Mystery by Rachael Wright

Brash, streetwise, Captain Alexander Savva of the Hellenic Police is called to investigate the crumpled mess of a car, and the body inside it, being battered by the sea. With the brakes compromised, John Fitzroy had no chance of surviving the steep roads along the coast. Where many investigations struggle for suspects, Savva has no lack of them.

Davonna tugs the thorny weeds, the purple hand-shaped bruise on her neck screaming. Had it really been ten years since she sat in a cushioned chair in the Palais des Nations translating Hebrew to German? Now she meticulously plans her days to avoid disaster. It’s so common, so very common for a woman to find herself captive, where escape only comes in dreams after her husband leaves her bruised on the bed.

As secrets are revealed, Savva is drawn to John’s widow, Davonna, questioning her every word. He hovers around the periphery of her life, discovering that behind the doors of her pink mansion and its manicured walled garden, a sinister secret rots. It all begs the question: who killed John Fitzroy?

A gritty, emotionally-charged, mystery, Mrs. Fitzroy is a profound exploration of the lies we tell ourselves to survive.

For Midifiles Estates’ Detective Warren Peace – loner, culinary contrarian, and sole heir to the Peace family fortune – the bomb array found wired into the sub-basement of the Casio Keyboard Towers Hotel is more than an interruption to his off duty partying. It is a call from a culinary revolution that he was certain was dead and gone. Peace had been a boot fresh from the academy when the last bombing had occurred. The targets had been the elite of the Estates’ culinary and entertainment community. That case had been solved by the current Chief of Police and tied to a dead revolutionary. Now, Warren Peace is going to relive the horrors of the revolution and its consequences in his search for the truth.

Partnered with a former Military Explosive Ordinance Disposal specialist, Peace Travels, though the seamy underbelly of the culinary world facing organic dealers, farm to table terrorists and the sleazy Big Agriculture thugs. As the lines between the criminal and the ruling caste blur Peace and his team will find themselves pitted against enemies within the department and within their own families, as the discovery of the real bomber will unmask an ugly truth no one is ready to face.

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Currently, I’m writing The Devil and Ms Devlin, Sam Smith Mystery Series book fifteen. Most of my novels are set on the South Wales coast, between Porthcawl and Cardiff. However, The Devil and Ms Devlin is set in Portmeirion.

Portmeirion was designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975 in the style of an Italian village. In designing the village, Williams-Ellis stated that he wished to pay tribute to the atmosphere of the Mediterranean. In particular, the fishing village of Portofino on the Italian Riviera strongly influenced his design.

Williams-Ellis incorporated fragments of demolished buildings, including works by a number of other architects, in his fairytale village. To some, Portmeirion was an overgrown folly. However, Williams-Ellis’ dream was justified for the village and its nostalgia strongly influenced the development of postmodernism in twentieth century architecture.

Portmeirion has often featured in popular culture with episodes of Danger Man, Doctor Who, Citizen Smith and Cold Feet all shot there. However, Portmeirion’s greatest claim to television fame is as The Village in the 1966–67 cult classic The Prisoner starring Patrick McGoohan (who also starred in Danger Man). Annual fan conventions are still held there, at locations unchanged to this day.

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Based on a true story and available from today, Saving Grace, “the courtroom drama of the year.”

Saving Grace will be published as an eBook, paperback and audio book in English, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese with more languages to follow. The book will be backed by a major promotional campaign in America, Australia, Britain, Canada and Europe. Reserve your copy now for the special pre-order price of $0.99/£0.99/€0.99

The Western Mail

2 August 1876

Sensation in the Charles Petrie Case!

Readers may recall that a young banker, by name Mr Charles Petrie, with every opportunity of succeeding in his profession, and commanding a not illiberal income, returned home after riding his horse to dine with his wife, Grace, and her companion Mrs Quinn. During and after dinner he had nothing to excite him save the receipt of a letter which somewhat annoyed him, and that his wife consumed rather more wine than he considered to be good for her health. Immediately after retiring to his room he was seized with symptoms of irritant poisoning, and despite every effort made on his behalf, he succumbed to its effects. An inquest was held, which vexed the minds of the Coroner’s jury to a degree without precedent in Coroners’ Inquest Law, and an open verdict was returned. However, the matter will not rest there, for after questions in Parliament, a second inquest has been called under suspicion that Mr Charles Petrie was murdered.

Who poisoned Charles Petrie? Dr James Collymore, a man familiar with poisons, a man harbouring a dark secret that, if exposed, would ruin his career; Florrie, the maid who supplied Charles with his bedtime drink; Bert Kemp, a disgruntled groom, who used poisons in his work, who four months previously had predicted Charles’ dying day; Mrs Jennet Quinn, a lady’s companion with a deep knowledge of poisons, and a deep fear of dismissal; or Grace Petrie, Charles’ wife of four months, a woman with a scandalous past, a woman shunned by polite society.

With crowds flocking to the courtroom and the shadow of suspicion falling upon Grace in the shape of the hangman’s noose, could dashing young advocate, Daniel Morgan, save her?

Sins of the Father, my eighth audio book, is now available from iBooks and Audible 😃

For the first thirty-three years of my life I had no knowledge of my father, no idea what he looked like, his name, whether he was dead or alive. Then fate brought us together. Then, a year later, he decided to hire me.

Although we had talked for a year, my father was still Gawain Morgan to me, a stranger, not my dad. Would the task of locating Frankie Quinn bring us closer together, or drive us further apart?

Frankie Quinn was a con-man, a life-long villain, a member of my father’s old gang. That’s right, my father was a villain too, with dodgy contacts, a shady past and sins he preferred to forget. The police wanted Frankie and, if arrested, he faced the prospect of spending his final years in prison. However, he had a trump card, evidence of my father’s indiscretions. Frankie was looking to cut a deal with the police, my father was looking for Frankie. They knew that one of them would spend the winter of their days in prison; but who would it be?

Meanwhile, the clock was ticking towards my wedding day. Would I enjoy the happiest day of my life, or be left crying into my champagne?

Sins of the Father, ten days that defined my relationship with my dad.

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A Parcel of Rogues, Sam Smith Mystery Series book thirteen, was published on 1st January. You can read full details about the book here

The River Wye plays a crucial role in A Parcel of Rogues. This painting of the River Wye was created by Thomas Jones, 1742 – 1803, a highly respected Welsh landscape painter. He was the son of Thomas Jones and Hannah 😃

The writing of Saving Grace, my forthcoming Victorian novel, has reached the courtroom stage of the story. This is a scene from the Balham Inquest, the true story my novel is based on. As you can see, the courtroom is crowded. Indeed, interest in the case was so great that people were bribing police officers to get in.

Saving Grace and Professor Vernon Pennington gives evidence on the first day of the inquest into the poisoning of banker Charles Petrie. This is an amazing chapter to write because it contains a dramatic incident that goes beyond the realms of fiction, yet it is true. For an author, true satisfaction comes from a successful writing session 😃

This morning, while writing my 1944-5 mini-series, I had an idea to take a character forward ten years into the mid-1950s. The story would be a mystery, influenced by classics such as Tiger Bay.

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Sam’s Song began the year in the top ten of the private investigator’s chart and, I’m pleased to say, the book ends the year in the top ten of that chart, with five #1 positions in between. Many thanks to everyone who made this possible.

While researching my forthcoming Victorian novel, Saving Grace, I discovered this Christmas card, which dates from the 1870s. It is so beautiful I felt that I should share it with you.

Saving Grace is set in 1876, the year Mata Hari, the famous spy and exotic dancer, was born. Other notable events that year included the premiere of the stage production of the verse-play Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen with incidental music by Edvard Grieg, Elisha Gray (pictured) and Alexander Graham Bell’s application for a patent for the telephone while Wyatt Earp (also pictured) started work in Dodge City, Kansas, serving under Marshal Larry Deger.

The inquest into the poisoning of Charles Petrie, the centrepiece of my forthcoming novel Saving Grace, takes place at the Seabank Hotel, Porthcawl. The Seabank began life in 1860 and was redeveloped ten years later. The building is still in use as a hotel, though much changed from this Victorian photograph.

I am a big fan of 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s movies and for Christmas this year I received a number of DVDs from those decades, including this classic

And a reminder that Betrayal, story number one in my 1944-5 mini-series is currently available free